As we talked about earlier this week, the controversy stems from “A Letter to the Law,” a poem Common performed
on HBO's Def Poetry television series. The offending lines include
“Burn a Bush cuz for peace he no push no button,” “I hold up a peace
sign but I carry a gun” and a reference to the line “My uzi weighs a
ton” from Public Enemy's song by the same name.

The story tells us that the Maya Angelou-endorsed rapper also runs a children's charity for at-risk youth in underserved
communities, funds something called a Lighthouse program in the summer and
fall that educate kids through
activities that foster healthy living, leadership skills, technological
awareness, creative expression, and other valuable life skills, and launched a national online book club named The Corner.